Gordon L. Weil
The news overflows with events caused by unrelated and unusual
sources: a mistake, harassment, bullying and appeasement, and drinking your own
bathwater.
The big mistake
The talks aimed at bringing an end to the Gaza War became
possible, because of one man’s mistake.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has held onto power by
promising to eliminate Hamas. Israel has
reduced threats from Iran and its proxies, replacing it as the dominant Middle
East power. Arab states, who had lined up
with Israel against Iran, are now nervous.
Israel has successfully killed Arab leaders in neighboring countries,
crippling Israel’s enemies. Netanyahu sought
to force Hamas to quit by killing its leaders in Qatar, who were invited there
to negotiate indirectly with Israel. His
intelligence advisors opposed the plan, but he persisted and launched an
attack. The U.S. was not informed.
President Trump, Israel’s most stalwart backer, was
shocked. That single Netanyahu mistake
caused a shift in U.S. policy. Trump would
no longer give Israel unstinting support in its Gaza policy. He forced
Netanyahu to call the Emir of Qatar from the Oval Office and apologize. Trump pressed Netanyahu to end the Gaza War.
The Israeli leader also saw the U.K., France, Canada and
others turn their backs on him. He could
not remain blind to his country’s increasing isolation and the loss of its
special place in the world.
External Hamas leaders that Israel tried to kill, not those
in Gaza, decided it was time to seek a ceasefire. That way they could end what was a losing
game.
Harassment as a tactic
Trump may believe that he won in 2020. He discredits the Biden administration, and openly
“hates” and seeks revenge against Democrats. If he finds they did anything
against his interests, he is out to get them.
It does not matter if they are not guilty of any offense. By bringing the force of government on them,
he tries to sully their reputations and deplete their funds as they defend
themselves. The charges may be inconsequential
and lack evidence and amount to little more than harassment.
He replaced experienced prosecutors with his own lawyer to
get a flimsy
indictment against former FBI Director James Comey. Comey’s move to get the case tossed may be
based on Trump’s open effort at retaliation.
If that succeeds or he is easily acquitted, Trump’s reputation might
suffer more than Comey’s.
Appeasement
Trump’s ego and self-esteem are legendary. He believes in his own superiority and
expects others to agree. Flattery that
might embarrass others nourishes him.
His sudden actions on tariffs have forced other countries to
seek relief from losing U.S. markets. Many
have acceded to his demands and others have resorted to lavishing praise on him.
By acting rapidly and forcing other countries to make offers
to him to gain relief, he puts “America First,” avoiding true
negotiations. When bullied by him, countries
may try appeasement, with the hope of preventing something worse. History
shows that appeasement doesn’t work, though bullying might.
Except maybe not with Canada. Trump demonstrates a profound ignorance
and lack of political sensitivity when he speaks of the “51st State.” Canada plays its own role in North America
and the world. The U.S. and Canada need
one another. But Canadians
now move away. They will not
appease, and the U.S. may pay the price.
Appeasement is now occurring in domestic politics. Nobody favors the government shutdown, but
the Democrats will accept Trump’s decision by hammering the loss of medical
care by millions. Surprisingly, Maine’s Sen.
Angus King has rejected the Democratic position because he fears that Trump
will do something even more harmful during the shutdown.
Trump frequently backs down when he faces resistance. He has not yet acted on the threats King feared. If the threats work, it will partly result
from the Democrats’ weakness.
Drinking your own bathwater
Failing to answer Democrats’ oversight questions,
Attorney-General Pam Bondi attacked a senator for supporting Trump’s first impeachment.
Her focus
is inward-looking, emphasizing Trump’s past grievances. She will not deal
with current concerns, instead taking refuge in old complaints. That’s called drinking your own bathwater.
What’s true of Bondi and other officials, it’s also true of
Trump himself. From the election campaign
until his recent remarks to top generals and admirals, he delivers the same speech,
loaded with self-praise and loathing for Biden.
It is riddled with factual errors, stated as if they were widely accepted.
His administration aims at enhancing Trump’s reputation, not America’s. He has failed to note that most of the 2025 Nobel science winners are based at campuses of the University of California. He wants the Nobel Peace Prize; he rewards his country’s scientific achievements by cutting university budgets.
